Rotary side-pull mower-conditioners typically have the platform input gearbox located on the left side of the platform above the first disk of the cutterbar. The tongue or carrier frame structure of side-pull mower-conditioners have traditionally been over the top, or leftward of the platform input gearbox.
Placing the tongue or carrier frame structure over the top of the gearbox requires additional height of the structure to give adequate float and lift height of the platform. The extra height of the tongue requires the structure to be heavier to handle the higher bending moment exerted by the draft tongue.
Alternatively, placing the tongue and carrier frame outside of the input gear box in order to minimize the bending moments adds to the transport width of the machine.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is that of providing a draft tongue location which does not include either of the above-noted drawbacks.